fiscal cliff negotiations for throwing a wrench in expanding his franchise. he started a business and now has about 50 employees. >> i'm just frustrated and i'm angry and i just want to move on and grow our business and help to support the economy and all of the people that we employ. but instead we're just on hold here. >> reporter: with so many sectors of the economy bracing for financial pain, patience has worn thin. >> this whole fiscal cliff mess shows how incredibly out of touch you are with the way people really live in this country. you are off in la la land and everyone is saying how you're acting like a bunch of spoiled brat who is are r more interested in being right than in doing the the right thing and representing the people who elected you. >> reporter: mary snow, cnn, new

york. i'm joe johns. thanks for joining us. cnn newsroom continues now with ashlee banfield. >> we went over the fiscal cliff. yep at midnight and then just a couple hours later, the senate came up with a solution. now it's off to the house. the house has to sign off. they will get back to work this afternoon. what's in the deal? well, it starts with the new income tax threshold. those folks agreed to let the taxes go up but only on the family who is make over $450,000 in combined income. the itemized deductions will also be capped at $300,000 for families. and the estate tax, that was a big sticking point for lawmakers, and now the tax rate goes up to 40% for estates that are valued over $5 million. so if you're under $5 million, you skated there too.

other key points are an extension of the long-term unemployment benefits. the renewal of tuition and child care tax credits and then something called the doc fix. it reimburses doctors who take medicare patients. and what about the automatic spending cuts that were supposed to go into effect today? doomsday, yikes. they put those off. but only for two months. that's the plan that the senate stayed up real, real late to accomplish. but it's time for the house to have its say. you didn't think it was over, did you? correspondent dana bash is on capitol hill. she works late shs she works early. she hasn't stopped. this has been a frustrating several weeks for people. it seemed there was some good will. especially with the vote. that's the senate. how different might things be when it comes to the house or do we even have an idea? >> reporter: e we don't have an

idea yet. just the fact that the leadership is not definitively saying there will be a vote today. they are saying there won't be decisions after house republicans have a meeting at 1:00. so in about two hours. it really is unclear. but you're right. the hope going into the senate vote was if there was a big enough majority that it would give momentum to this to make it hard for house republicans to vote against. look at where republicans in the senate voted. 40 voted yes. that's a high percentage of just republicans. and we heard from republican senators coming out saying some of the most conservative saying you're not going to get everything you want. saying come on, colleagues in the house, let's vote. one of the dynamics that's long standing is the house doesn't like to be told what to do by

the senate. i think that isn't necessarily going to sway many house republicans. >> but they often tend to sort of tip their hands somewhat. at least through their assistance and all the rest. it feels as though this is hurried that we have no clue. what about just the idea of the amendments. have they given any amendments and how much might that delay the process or completely derail it? >> reporter: that could be what they decide to do after this meeting where all house republicans in two hours will be able to sit and be able to complain and rant and often suggestions. one of the things that the speaker said from the get go after leaders met with the president this past week and decided to push forward this process is he promised to take up whatever the senate passed. but he also said it's possible the house might amend it. it is a possibility. what would that mean?

who knows. it depends what the amendments would be. it depends on if they would pass if the senate could agree to that. the biggest complaint among house republicans who don't like this is that taxes are still going up on every household making above $450,000. but more than that, there are a lot of complaints about there aren't enough spending cuts that go along with the tax increases as some see it. they also really want to deal with the idea of entitlement reform. democrats and most republicans who signed on to this said we'll deal with sbientitlement reformt not until the next congress. >> pretty distressing to get that alert that they haven't decided yet to vote. dana, keep an eye on things and let us know if they decide to vote. would you do that for us? >> reporter: i promise. >> our chief correspondent dana bash, working late, working early, working often.

i want to bring in our business correspondent christine romans. you also don't get any days off. if you can, for people who are out there who hear the reporting nonstop about line by line, just boil it down. who gets hit first with anything that could be hitting us. >> unemployment benefits. this is the first thing people will feel for the 2 million people whose last check they worried would be december 29th. there's another extension in there. and then another million people who will be running out of state benefits, that's the first people who will feel something. people who get their unemployment checks. >> who gets hit hardest? >> everyone. the majority of 160 million workers because the payroll tax holiday. this was not included in the deal. even though taxes for the majority of americans are not going to rise, your pay chex for the majority of americans are going to go down. those things will happen at the same time.

the payroll tax rate will rise. it was always meant to be a holiday. it was meant to be temporary. it looks like it's gone away and that means that money you got in your paycheck is going to go up. how much people is it? $700 more for those making $35,000. $50,000, you'll pay $1,000 more. so the payroll tax holiday not included in the fiscal cliff compromi compromise solution. >> let's leave that graphic up there so we can hammer home the point that everybody watching, you do get affected. it this is what you're going to pay. this has nothing to do with a free bee we have been getting and got used to. >> it was meant to be a little stimulus. it was never meant to last forever. it looks like it didn't last forever. maybe the house amends it. who knows. that's where it stands now.

make your annual budget. if it's going to be $10 a week or $20 a paycheck or whatever the difference is, congress can't set a budget, but that's what we're supposed to be doing at home. >> we keep our receipts and the business lunches, what kind of deductions will be cut out? >> here's the interesting thing. for people who make $250,000 and higher and couples who make $300,000 and higher, they are going to cap deductions back to the clinton era rates. so technically the president could say that for people making $250,000 and higher, they could pay a higher tax bill. accountants everywhere are trying to figure out what that's going to look like. >> you have to call your accountant. especially if you're a small business because sometimes those

are the people. >> the other thing i love that you call them tax goodies. these are the things that save us money. not anymore. >> there are a few things that are going to continue. for teachers, there are goodies for teachers put back in there. an extension for expenses. a teacher spends $250 on supplies for the classroom, that's something you have been able to stay. parents, a whole host of parent tax credits will stay. so that's important. here's the interesting thing about the goodies. if you take them away, you miss them. but if you have them, it doesn't mean you're going to spend that money. so we use our tax code to reward certain kinds of behavior. so that's what we're watching. >> now that you have explained it so beautifully and made it make sense, we still have the house to tinker with. all of this could be big swaps

coming. >> i know. when you have a vote in the senate, a rare move from the senate, the house is under a lot of pressure to get this done. especially on a day when the market is closed. we don't have the market freaking out about being over the cliff yet. but there are big concerns if they drag this on for too long, the effects on families will become a 401(k) effect. >> do you have a huge ab cuss on your desk? that makes me sound old. >> happy new year. >> it's great to see you. you have been doing such great work. christine is going to stay on this. no rest for the weary. we have a couple other stories we're watching at well. we want to get you caught up on those. same-sex couples in maryland were able to say i do. while you might have been toast ing with the champagne, this was

going on. the voters approved same-sex marriages in november, but they just became legal today. maryland, maine and washington are the first states where voters approved same-sex marriage. and over to north korea. kind of a weird sight. feast your eyes. that's a tv address for the new year. kim jong-un making a television address. good idea. he also said great things about last month's space launch, very expensive. so what's very unusual about this? kim jong-un's father never once made a televised address and he was in power for 17 years. so there you go. a first for everything. now to alaska. some unusual pictures. this is an oil platform running aground. crashing on to a small island

south of kodiak. the coast guard was trying to help secure the rig when the tow boats got in some trouble. not to mention swells at 40 feet, those are huge. forced them to cut the rig lose just to stay alive. all 17people on board the rig were evacwait. now the fear is that diesel could be looking into the water. the royal dutch shell oil platform was supposed to be moved from the seasonal oil field off the alaskan coast down to seattle. so stay tuned for what's going to happen there.

want to keep you up to date

on the developing news from capitol hill. might look like a nice day. there's a lot of consternation going on in the hallways. they it don't know e if they, house members, are going to meet to vote on the fiscal cliff deal. they have yet to decide to meet. however, what they will meet about at least the house caucus at under a 12:00 and 1:00 respectively, they will get together to discuss the potential of getting together for a vote. i'll keep you update on what comes out of that. dana bash is following it for us as well. e she will report to us if they make a decision. other news, though, since the news broke about secretary of state hillary clinton and the blood clot that was discovered in her head, reporters have been scrambling to find out just how dangerous the rare disorder that she has is. i wanted to show you what was in the papers today. it's a picture of chelsea.

not sure if a picture says a thousand words, but her family certa certainly rushed to the hospital where she's being treated. that picture really caught that image of what appears to be a distraught chelsea clinton. she was leaving the hospital after the visit with her mom. she tweeted out a message thanking people for their support. "thank you to all for sending good thoughts my mom's way. grateful to all her doctors and that she'll make a full recovery." the doctors for their part say there's no evidence of a stroke or any neurological damage with regard to this clot near her brain. jill dougherty is live at the state department. a lot of people want to know how she's doing. clearly she has an important role. do we know if her progress is getting better or are they keeping us abreast? >> they haven't issued anything today but yesterday they did --

her two doctors issued a report. it was pretty in-depth. at least technical explaining where the blood clot was located and what they were doing is giving blood thinners. it's important to point out it's not on the brain itself. it's between the brain and the skull. so it's actually kind of an area in a way that vein is isolated from the actual brain. that would be the danger. that's why they were saying she did no have the stroke or neurological problems. so what they do is they shrink that. using these blood thinners, what they are doing now is determining how much to give her, how strong a dose, et cetera, depends on the person. and once they determine that, once they have it locked down that that's her recipe, then they potentially can let her

leave the hospital. so that's what we're waiting for. some type of indication that the doctors have signed off on this. >> the doctors said she's expected to make a full recovery. a lot of people thought out of concern for the secretary that her health was improving. but i have to be honest, when i saw that picture, i had second thoughts. i want to hold this shot up again. i was concerned to see that was chelsea leaving the hospital. that made me concerned that we're getting all the information or not. i want to quote this. he said this was a diplomatic illness to beat the band illuding to this might be a way to escape testifying on the benghazi affair. clearly we're beyond that now. he hasn't apologized for that. but do we know how serious this could be? >> well, if you talk to doctors, what they have been saying is potentially if this were not

treated, it could be dangerous. it could lead to a buildup of blood in the head. and that could have an impact on the brain. so potentially if it it were untreated. but luckily it was found and being treated and apparently she's doing well. if you also talk to doctors, they say the prognosis of living a normal life is very good. that you would probably have to continue with some type of blood thinners, but a lot of people do that and she can go on. it makes me wonder if she's able to work or if she's not supposed to. i don't know if they released that information. >> they haven't said if she has her books in bed with her, but she was interacting with the doctors, talking with her family and her friends who had come to the hospital to visit her. so it sounds as if cognitively

she's fine and she's chatting away. whether she can really sustain some type of schedule, doctors would have to determine there. but long-term, they are saying it shouldn't really have an effect on what she does. her job as secretary of state. >> e we certainly all wish her the best and thank you for keeping tabs on that for us. happy new year. >> same to you. airly. so, um, whoever's fathered the most children, gets the most data. let's just do it by hair. body hair? most dental work. what? [ phones buzzing and beeping ] stop downloading, and stop liking everything. it should be by who has the least amount of cartilage in their left knee. [ mom ] i just want to take a bath. [ male announcer ] say no to sharing. say yes to sprint. with truly unlimited data, text and calling.

if bridging the partisan divide wasn't challenge enough, get ready because the fiscal cliff is far from a done deal. vice president joe biden and mitch mcconnell brokered a deal and, yes, it cleared the senate

late last night. but no, the republican-controlled house of representatives hasn't voted on this yet. they are going to convene in about 30 minutes. house democratic caucus is meeting in less than an hour while the house gop leaders are meeting at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. both parties undoubtedly laying the groundwork for the fiscal cliff showdown that will unfold between its 435 house members. one of those members is democratic congressman from michigan. he's kind enough to join me. thank you for being with us today. first of all, if you could get me up to speed on the decision to make a decision v you heard anything about the possibility there might be a vote today with your members? >> i haven't heard directly. i think there will be. i think the vote last night in the senate set the stage. it was overwhelming. we're going to have a caucus

democrats and republicans will discuss the bill. the vice president is coming to the democratic how cause cuss. we'll hear from him. he will explain what's in it. he will say in terms of what was in the senate bill as to the tax cut, they achieved 85% of it. they talked about the minimum tax that would affect 30 million people that now is attended to permanently. also unemployment insurance extended for a year. and also if i might say the vice president is likely to repeat. i just read what the president said yesterday. if republicans think i will finish the job of deficit reduction, that's not how it's going to work. in the responsible way. they will reiterate that.

it has to be balanced. >> there's a lot of criticism for how the president has been handling this in the last two days some republicans are ridiculing republicans and suggesting that was not conducive to negotiations. can you understand why people feel that way? >> i don't understand that. i think they are wrong. the president laid down the marker and indicated what was in it this bill. he also indicated what's ahead e. and he acknowledged that we have work to do ahead. it has to be done in a balanced and responsible way. there will be to be additional measures. i think that's important. we think the president will lead to think he's spiking the football when he's trying to get everything moving. i think that's a mistake for the

republicans to say that. >> i'm not going to suggest that you know what the other 434 members of your house is going to do. never until the vote is done. vice president biden just said that yesterday. but i want to get your feel for what you think is going to happen. we had a pretty significant 89-8 vote in the senate. dana bash who knows a lot about what's going on in the hallways said she has no idea how this vote could shake down. do you have a sense of how many of your members may vote to support a deal or how many friends may vote to support a deal? >> i don't know. my guess is there will be strong support in the democratic caucus. i don't know what the conference will do. i think essentially the speaker said let the senate do it. now it's back. so i don't really know. but i do think the bill will come up today.

the notion there will be amendment, i just don't think that's feasible. i think everybody should plan that after due deliberation the republicans that we're likely to have a vote today. the markets aren't open today. they will be tomorrow. i don't think we should go over the cliff for 24 hours. >> dangling is no fun. thank you for being with us. i sure hope you're hard at work in a couple hours voting. >> it will be i think e today, maybe not a couple hours. >> let's hope for today. >> nice to talk to you again. >> happy to you. >> i want to remind our viewers. if the house fails to act, those bush era tax cuts will expire. as christine romans was talking about sweeping tax hikes, those just kick in, period.

in other words, we all tumble off the fiscal cliff together. for their annual football trip. that's double miles you can actually use. tragically, their buddy got sacked by blackouts. but it's our tradition! that's roughing the card holder. but with the capital one venture card you get double miles you can actually use. [ cheering ] any flight, anytime. the scoreboard doesn't lie. what's in your wallet? hut! i have me on my fantasy team.

while most of you were out welcoming in the new year, the senate was out working late and long after the champagne toast, they passed a deal on the fiscal cliff. now it's up to the house to pass it. the house gets back to work in about 30 minutes from now. house republicans are going to meet to decide what the next step is. vote, no e vote, change things? so while we have heard the reactions from some lawmakers on that senate deal, americans who are a bit groggy from last night, are waking up to the news

and having weighing in. alison kosik has been out sampling some of that opinion. what are people saying? >> reporter: you know what's interesting about being in a diner, we're at the tick tok diner. pretty fitting considering we're moving against a clock as far as the fiscal cliff goes. i can go from table to table, i can say two words and fiscal cliff and it opens up the flood gates of opinion. i know you have an opinion on how these negotiations have been going. >> they are not going anywhere. they have had two years to work on this. if i had two years to work on a project and didn't meet a deadline, i would be fired. they are all having lunch. they are not working. i want to see something really working like the rest of us. >> reporter: the legislation that's on the table from the senate have you seen it? what do you think about it?

is it enough considering that lawmakers have had a long time to get ready for this deadline? >> they haven't said anything concrete that we can hold on to. there's everybody is saying this and that. they are not doing anything. they are going to wait until the last minute to come up with a rescue plan so the stock market doesn't crash. >> reporter: wednesday will be interesting because wednesday morning the stocks open. i will be at the stock exchange keeping an eye on the numbers. i want to get one more opinion. jose from california. we get opinions from across the country. we were talking about how the house may not vote today and that got you fired up. >> it doesn't bring any finality to the skpsh that-- and that's problem. we're really seeing a continuation of the negotiations with congress and the president. >> reporter: thanks very much. one other person said to me,

it's a huge problem when the biggest threat to the u.s. economy is the u.s. congress. i kind of agree with him. >> you know what, i want you to go back and tell that mark that my resolution is to be more like him. just say what's on your mind. he's direct. >> reporter: he certainly did. it's great -- but people feel passionate about this. we're working in this business where we watch sort of the trickle of events, but everybody else is watching it too. it's very frustrating for everybody. >> people are ticked, hence you are at the tick tok diner. that's my attempt at humor. alison kosik, thank you, my friend. happy new year. >> reporter: sure, you too. besides talking to people in the diners, we're also collecting your thoughts online. if you want to see what a lot of your fellow americans and those who live here feel about this,

go to cnn.com. you can hear the reports to washington. there's some doozies in there.

the fiscal cliff is somewhat set. now it's up to the house to give the thumbs up or down. leaders are expected to meet at

1:00 this afternoon eastern to set their strategy on the senate deal. also talk about maybe having a vote. cnn's white house correspondent brianna keilar joins me now. talk to me about what we expect from the republican-e led house about taking up this measure. does the white house know anything about the plans over at the house? >> i think right now the white house has its eye on what comes out of this conference meeting that john boehner has with his republicans. this is what we're watching and this is what's going to tell us if there's a vote today. we heard from gop leaders in the house last night that they were committed to considering the measure that the senate passed. and i'm told that that means there will be a vote. the question is it going to be today and will it be a vote on the senate measure or will they try to change it as you talked about it. will they amend it and try to send it back to the senate. they could propose some amendments and take care of that

expeditiously. but the question is when will they set the time for the first vote. the white house wants it to happen today. >> north to get the senate deal, there was some furious efforts on behalf of not only the president but the vice president and the senate minor lity leade. i'm wondering if those two or either one of those two will be trying to do something to foster some kind of momentum in the house. or are they taking the day off? >> reporter: they are not taking the day off. vice president biden will be headed shortly to the hill. he will be going to the democratic house caucus meeting at 12:15. and part of that is going to be talking to democrats and saying, here's why we should be proud of the deal we cut. some of what you heard president

obama say yesterday in his remarks. now mitch mcconnell's role has been obviously to -- he's been in touch obviously with house republicans. it's not as if he brokered a deal for senate republicans in a vacuum without considering the house. he brokered that deal very much considering what house republicans would accept. he didn't obviously want his republicans to be kind of joining in on something that didn't have a chance of passing the house. but at this point, it's up to john boehner to see how much support he has for the bill with or without amendments and whether he can move forward today or if it's going to be delayed. e we should find that out shortly. >> brianna keilar live for us at the white house, thank you. also we're going to keep an eye on washington today. we'll be live throughout the day to just see what the house plans to do. and then coming up we're going to get the pulse of the people too. back in a moment.

we're all keeping a close eye on the house today to see e what those house members decide to do about the fiscal cliff. the republican leaders there are expected to meet about 20 minutes or so. actually an hour and 20 minutes or so to go over their strategy for the day. that's when they will decide potentially if we're even going to have a house vote today on that plan that the senate approved early this morning.

for you out late last night, it was late last night. 2:00 in the morning eastern time. going to keep you updated on the machinations of the house. in the meantime, since it's the first day of the new year, it means some brand new laws are going into effect all across the u.s. some of them are out there. i'm telling you. like the one in kentucky. i'm not kidding. you can no longer release wild boors into the wild. and also in florida you no longer have to register your swamp buggy as a motor vehicle. then in california, i'm sorry to report that your dog can no longer be used to hunt a bear. worse, a bob cat. can't use your dog to hunt a bob cat in california anymore. while you may think that these strange new laws don't affect

you, you might be surprised by these next ones because they might. in florida it used to be illegal to flash your headlights at oncoming drivers to warn them about a speed trap. you know that unwritten rule, winking a nudge between the folks on the road, it's road code. a new law makes it okay to do it now. there could be some loopholes though. joining me is joe jackson to talk about it. the first time i ever heard about that was a challenge to a law that you can't do that or you'll get a ticket. somebody at the time brought up free speech. is that free speech? >> first of all, we know state legislatures are busy. 29,000 bills passed throughout the country. a businey year. you can argue that it's expressive conduct. it's symbolic conduct. as a result of that, it's protected by our constitution

first amendment. in florida what they did was they said these flashing lights, you can do it, it's all good. there are a couple loopholes. if you flash the high beams the law also says you can't flash them if there's a car 500 feet that's approaching or if you're behind a car that's 300 feet away. so you still can get nabbed. >> that code is usually from a longer distance away. >> it is. they stopped enforcement also. in march they said we're no longer going to enforce this provision. flash away if you're in florida. >> you might argue it's helping society to slow down. >> absolutely. but it hurts the revenue. >> he hits it on the head. this next one i think applies to a lot of viewers. if you're interested in the internet, social media, in california and illinois new laws prohibit employers from insisting that you give them your passwords to your social

media. >> this is huge. why? because we are in a social media evolution. everyone has whatever it is. twitter or facebook. people post such personal information about themselves. perhaps we shouldn't be as broad as we are, but right now based on those laws, you can't insist if it you're an employer say give me that password. let me search your personal information. >> it seems weird it's just those two states. why should you be able to get my password? it seems like a breach of privacy. >> it is. as a result of this, we're going to see it spread. every state is a sovereign. there's federal protections but each state individually has a right to pass laws they feel are protecting their citizens. last piece about this particular statute is this. you still have to be careful. why? if the employer is conducting an investigation because they know that you posted something that

was inappropriate, they can under this law still get it. >> and by the way, word of advice. don't post last night's new year's woo hoo pictures. >> depends on what you did, but could be great advice. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. it's nice to see you. thank you for coming in. >> we're going tok bab after this. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

want to get you back to the fiscal cliff topic. it's really kind of a critical day. republican house leaders are now just over an hour away from holding their first meeting on the senate deal that was passed so late last night. probably while you were sleeping. or getting home from your party. they are planning to set their "path forward." those are the words we're being told. let me bring in cnn chief correspondent dana bash. what's the path forward? what does it include? >> reporter: it includes when is the house going to vote. that's the first question that everybody is asking. and what kind of vote will they take? the house speaker was very clea he will take up whatever the senate passes but republicans

might decide to amend it. we'll see if that's going to happen and when. what's interesting, you and i talked beginning the hour whether there will be enough republicans to vote for this in order for it to pass. but there's also a question about how many democrats are going to vote for it. that's why in about 20 minutes or so the vice president is going to come here to capitol hill to meet with house democrats in order to explain and, frankly, sell the deal that he struck with the senate republican leader. the reason this is important is because, i was talking to a democratic law make who are reminded me, there are about 70 members of the progressive caucus, basically 70 self-describe liberal house members and this congressman who really has a good sense where the caucus is said they might lose 30 of them. most big votes it doesn't necessarily matter. but when you are talking about a vote where you're going to see republican votes missing and democratic votes missing, you know, it could be significant if that many democrats vote against

this deal, endorsed and blessed by the president. >> gets tougher to prognosticate the math, too. the irony of going over the cliff last night, over the deadline, automatic tax increases, et cetera, does that in a very strange way make this a much easier pill to swallow for republicans who vowed never to increase taxes, because technically, those taxes just got increased and if they vote on a deal, it means they're bringing -- you know what i mean? it seems odd but going over the cliff made this much easier to vote on. >> reporter: sluly. that was definitely something that house republican leadership sources who i was going to in last night's vote took note of it. it wasn't the reason republicans waited until today they didn't have a choice. they waited until 2:00 in the morning. they're told republican leaders think there are a handful of republicans who might be more

interested in voting for this deal today as opposed to yesterday because some of the reap why republicans might not vote for it is because they're concerned about getting primaried, getting challenges from within their own party, and one of the most -- easiest arguments for a republican to make against the republican is, you voted to raise taxes. and so this would be a way for them to argue against any political ad cut or stump speech from an opponent, i didn't vote to raise taxes, taxes were up, i -- >> i voted to lower them. >> reporter: exactly. 99% of americans still had tax cuts. >> let me ask you this, christine romans has been doing some terrific work of boiling a lot of this all down. as we sort chew on the machinations of every moment, getting to some agreement, she had a very good overview. is this the way we do business now? is this our new normal? because it stinks. >> reporter: amen to that.

i have shoes worn out to prove it. you know, is it the new normal? the way it traditionally was, you had an election, and things kind of settled down politically for at least a couple of months. and it doesn't seem to be that way anymore. i mean, look at what's going on. you have republicans accusing the president of making effectively a campaign speech yesterday and he was pretty tough on republicans in the heat of these intense negotiations. and you have republicans and democrats, frankly, in the house, because that's where they have to run every two years who are already concerned about the next election. so, it could be the new normal. we can get into this at another day but a big part of it is redistricting and gerrymandering, a lot of the members are members for life when it comes to not getting a challenge from their other side but they are concerned about challenges from within their own party and that makes things a lot more polarized. >> and i'll see you at the debt

ceiling discussions, right. >> reporter: exactly. two months away. >> our cnn chief congressional correspondent and just crack reporter, dana bash, thank you. happy new year. by the way, stay tuned throughout the day because we are on it. we are on the cliff with you, too. we are on it technically as reporters as well. if you're on the move, you can stay tuned to us as well with your compute somewhere mobile phone. cnn.com, the place to go.ight nw i don't want to be disturbed. and i won't. because before i went to sleep, i set this. now my iphone knows not to ring, unless it's important. 'cause disturbing this would just be .. wrong.

now that the senate has cleared the way, the fiscal cliff deal comes down to the house, which is convening just really minutes from now. so we're hearing at this point that the vice president, joe biden, is either en route to the capitol or on capitol hill at this point. i have to check in with brianna keilar on that because the house democratic caucus is meeting shortly. is he there already? what is his plan? >> reporter: we saw him, i didn't personally see him, but cameras caught him coming into the white house a short time ago. not sure if he's on the way to the hill from the white house. he did stop here first. he's expected to be up there for the democratic caucus meeting at 12:15 p.m. it's actually what you heard dana bash talking about, which is that he's shoring up support among democrats and this is key because, obviously some on the left will be unhappy with this plan who may not vote for what the senate passed last night. it's one thing, i think, when

counting votes if you're only relying on those in your party. you whip the votes, you have a sense absolutely of what the number's going to be on the board during the vote, but if you're relying on votes from both democrats and republicans, it gets a little trickier and you're having to trust the or side to have their numbers right, and you don't want to leave it up to chance. >> sort of a fiscal cliff hanger, so to speak, pardon the pun. let me ask you this, if they can't -- it's the new year, i've got to get out a few zingers while i've got the chance -- if they can't come to any kind of decision to make a vote today, are there serious repercussions? we're already over the cliff. we're on the first of the year now. if they can't do any vote today, what are implications? >> reporter: the most obvious repercussion would be if it -- if it's delayed until tomorrow, that's when the markets open, you can see market effects. the market effects we would anticipate would b